Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-26

proclaimed will really " wash that Is
TO say, il their permanency can be
proved by time--it is clear that ere
long little short of revolution must
be expected, not only in portrait-paint-
ing, but in many other important
branches of art Already photography
has wholly slain the elegant. the re-
fined, the sympathetic art of miniature
painting on ivory. There is no room
for Mrs Robinson, Mrs. Nee. Sir
William Ross. The last of the great Eng
lish miniaturists was tho elder Rich
mond, who, during his long and dis
tinQuishcd career, painted between
5000 and 1000 delightfully-brliliant
and highly-finished portraits. Photo
Praphy, however, was in the end too
strong for this cultured and facile prac-
titioner. and he was fain at last 10
paint large pictures. Photography has
been the death of TYPOGRAPHY, in its
mOnocbromatic and chalk phase at least,
and if photography in colors is to be-
come a universally-spread art chrome
lithoeraphy, which of recent years has
experienced q curious revival, must
once more collapse. Draughtsnan-
ship on wood is fading to ex-
tinction. At present the artists draw
ings are photographed on to the
sensitive surface of the block. Flee
tricity and photography between them
are playing what is popularity known
as "old gooscberry" with wood en-
craving, while chalcography itself is
being seriously menaced by the pro-
cess known as photogravure. There
is happily one morsel of 1attering
JUNCTION which the threatened portrait
and landscape painters may lay to their
souls. About twenty years since al!
Paris WAS talking of new process
called "photo-sculpture." Theperson
whose portrait was to be sculptured
WAS simultaneously photographed from
twonty-four different points of view,
and the Photographic sculptor followed
with pentograph the outlines of the
Photograph and transferred them to a
block of clay on a revolving pedestal.
An exactly accurate model was thus in
8 surprisingly short space of time pro-
duced ; and for awhile photo-sculpture
and its ingenious inventor, VI. Willems,
enjoyed extended popularity. The
direst apprehension prevailed among
the professional sculptors of France /;
but somehow these practitioners
Of the glyptic art took little,
il any, harm by the intro
duction of photo-sculpture. It's ac-
ceptsnce was immediate and gene
raj, but somehow it failed to wash, :"
and it soon quietly faded away from
public remembrance. Photochromatics
may or may not como successfully to
the front still the portrait and land
scape painters should not be in a hurry
TO despair. There are qualities of feel
ing and imagination in their craft
which no mechanical or chemical pro-
cess, however skilful and elaborate il
may be, can adequately replace.
ART NOTES.
Governor Algcr, of Detroit, has
bought from the art dealer Sedelmeyer,
for $40, GOO, tie large picture by MunG-
kacsy entitled Last Days Of Mozart.
1t appears that the Christ Before
Plate was at one time sold to Mr.
Algcr for 800, 0G0, but the dealer sue
ceodcd in escaping from the bargain
on receiving from Wanamaker, OF
Philadelphia, a larger offer.
The AcadiGns have furnished Mr.. J.
NJ. Tracy, of Greenwich, Conn, with
figure subjects during the last two
winters, which he has passed at Ocean
Springs, Miss. Mr.. Tracy is best
known as the painter of sportsmen and
their dogs. "Une Berg6re Creole"
lately finished, shows an Acadian girl,
in sun-bonnet and blue gown, giving
salt to sheep. which crowd around her
to get some of the coveted food.
The american Architcct for May
2Sth devotes nine pages with wood-cuts
to paper by Sylvester Baxter on the
collection OF japanese pottery brought
together by Professor Morse during his
stay in Japan. The Professor has ar
ranged his large collection with much
skill, giving dates and localities for the
old pieces, as nobody hitherto has
dared to establish them. There are
few subjects more difficult and perilous
than the fixing Of dates to japanese
keTamics.
One Of The most successful town
houses built in America is that OF Mr..
Ross Winans On St. Paul street, Balti-
more IT is . work of art OF much
beauty and refinement. The same firm
who erected this beautiful town house
las been unlucky here with the big
building for Archer, PancOast d Co,
at Broadway and Twentieth street, so
much so that one might think both
structures could not have come from
The same workshop. The problem of a
business building in New York which
shall he beautiful as well as practical
remains to be solved.
Every life Of a great man has its
turning point. That of Sir John Eve
rett Millais turned while student at
the Royal Academy. Sent out by the
other students TO buy penny buns, he
made the bunman pay him large two
penny bun as commission. From that
moment he began to secure prizes,
never missing a medal. He has learned
the secret of putting in bun where 1t
would do the most good. Needless to
say that before a painter who knows
buns so thoroughly dies he will secure
the highest houors known to English
sri.
The design for monument to Lafay
cite at Washington sent in by the two
Partisan sculptoIs. Falguiere and Mer-
Gle, shows Lafayette on apedestal, bare
headed, with cloak aad Continental
uniform, his lefton the hilt ofhissword,
and folding chapeau in his right Be
hind are two allegorical figures, and
four other French officers form sup
porters, two and two on either side of
the pedestal, while in front on the steps
kneels a figure of History pointing with
a sword to the inscription. If accepted
several changes may be made in this
design. Falguiere also sent design
Of his own BaTtholdi offered two, ID.
c. French two, and Larkin Meade one.
j. G.. Flood, of San Franciso, has
placed on his property two pair OF
heavy bronze gates designed by Au-
gust LAYER, cast in San Francisco, and
.ostingabout 315, 900. This pieceof news
follows hard upon the following charge
nt nix